Marimo's Books
by sabymonster
Summary: This is an AU One Piece fic, pretty much taking place in the Sekaiichi Hatsukoi universe, though no Sekaiichi characters are directly mentioned. It's about a bartender [Sanji] whose bar lies directly across from a branch of Marimo Books where -you've guessed it- Zoro is helping out. Since this part of town has a massive crime problem, a certain 'bookseller' gets into trouble...
1. First Sight

No customers in sight.  
The blonde bartender sighed.  
His name tag read 'Sanji'.  
This was actually a great place in town for a bar like his; well attended, sometimes a little too well even maybe, considering the crime rate...

Usually, he had lots to do at this hour and might even need a help to serve all these thirsty and hungry bastards all over the dining area.  
But not tonight.  
He'd started to wipe the table tops just to keep his hands busy.

It wasn't really closing time yet; there might still be folk out there craving a drink.  
So he waited.  
And while doing so, he let his eyes wander up and down the street.  
Something just across the street caught his attention.  
Someone gesturing and shouting.  
A fight?  
Wouldn't be too uncommon.  
He stopped his cleaning and stepped out the door to have a better look.  
Right opposite to his cafe was a bookshop, a small Marimo Books branch.  
And obviously, some people were thrown out of it at that very moment.  
He frowned at the scene; realizing he was outside, he fumbled in his pockets and found a crumpled pack of cigarettes, fingered one out of it and lit it between his lips.

"Now get lost!," the shop assistant growled, shoving the two troublemakers onto the sidewalk.  
Sanji watched with interest.

That guy seemed to be new in the bookshop.  
Bothering to throw out two rather harmless delinquents?  
Sanji chuckled, inhaling smoke.  
The shop had been broken into recently.  
And one of the assistants was hurt pretty bad.  
That's probably why the new guy was hired;  
he was rather tall, looked muscly and had that kind of vibe that made you stay away if you didn't want annoy that hulk.  
And to top all that he had freaky green hair.  
Sanji shook his head, grinning.  
That's why they hired him?  
Marimo Books has its own Marimo now, huh?  
He laughed about his own joke.

Definitely not your typical bookseller.  
But probably just the right guy to keep things in order, after all the shopliftings.  
Sanji dropped his cig and went back inside.  
But he couldn't resist to look back over his shoulder.  
The bookshop guy met his eyes.  
He looked still stern, but no longer like a rabid beast.  
He even managed a semi-friendly nod, and locked the shop's door.  
_Weird guy_, Sanji thought.


	2. Second Sight

**~some days later~ **

He'd just said goodbye to the clique of girls that'd been nipping on cocktails half night.  
Again, the dining area was pretty empty.  
He was just considering a smoke when he heard the voices.  
A group of skinheads was beating up the bookseller guy.  
"Oi!," Sanji heard himself shouting as he stepped onto the street.  
Of course at a moment like this, there was lots of traffic on this otherwise sparely frequented street.  
As Sanji reached the other side, he was surprised to find the green-haired guy on his feet and the bashers gone.  
Okay, greenhead was holding onto the door for support, but other than that he seemed rather okay.

Except for the blood on his face and shirt, Sanji corrected his thoughts.  
"Oi, are you okay?," he asked, sincerely concerned.  
The other guy chuckled, blood dripping from his left eyebrow.  
"Does this look okay to you?," he asked right back, motioning to his blood-soaked shirt.  
The light gray button-down shirt was seriously ruined.  
"Those fuckers tried to stab me."  
Sanji looked him over and stared open-mouthed at the gash in the man's face.  
Another casual chuckle.  
"Yeah, I guess they wanted to take my fuckin' eye."  
It really looked like that; blood covered the left half of his face, including his eye.  
"You need medical treatment. I'll call an ambulance."  
"Don't bother, they won't show up in this quarter of town, anyway."

"But you need help!"  
"I'll help myself, don't you worry. I was on my way home, anyway."  
"Where do you live?"  
"Five stops by subway."  
"The last one for tonight departed a few minutes ago!"  
Zoro shrugged. "Guess I'll walk, then."  
"That's too far in your state! I'll take you home with me."  
Sanji closed his mouth; he couldn't believe his own words. Had he really just offered to take this complete stranger home with him?  
What the hell was he thinking?!  
"Nah, it's fine, really."  
The greenhead stumbled forward. Sanji shook his head, grabbing the other man's wrist.  
"Come. I'll see to your wounds."  
Grumbling, the greenhead tried to refuse but Sanji insisted on taking him.

***  
What an annoying guy! But Zoro had given in as he realized he probably wouldn't have made it home, anyway.

The blond guy's apartment was right above the cafe. Conveniently.  
So it was only a short walk across the street and up a flight of stairs.  
He said he'd just close the cafe and be right back, and ran down the stairs again.  
Zoro only nodded, and sat down on a little leather sofa in a nice living-room.

He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off completely to better examine the damage dealt.  
The cut right under his right collarbone was still oozing blood, but not as bad as it had before.  
But it still was pretty uncomfortable.  
His face was worse though; as far as he could see (and that wasn't that much) his whole torso was smeared with blood. Or was he simply feeling dizzy, losing consciousness?  
Maybe he'd lost more blood than he'd thought...  
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Just then, the blond bartender returned.  
"My, you're pale."  
Then he saw all the blood, his one visible eye widening, the other hidden behind wild blond bangs.  
"Better lie down, huh?," he asked, "I'll go get some bandages, okay?"  
And with that he was gone again.  
Zoro closed his eyes. Half his face felt like it was on fire; his left eye twitched painfully.  
Then he drifted into unconsciousness...


	3. Good Morning, Sunshine!

Sanji returned soon after, stopping at the other man's passed out sight.  
He approached the couch, knelt and started carefully washing the blood off of the unconscious man's chest.

His breath caught as he saw a large scar crossing the greenhead's torso from collarbone to hipbone.  
"What kind of _bookseller_ are you?," he whispered, his fingertips brushing the hard scar tissue.  
Sanji shook his head in disbelief, his fingers still resting on tight abs.  
Then he resumed washing off the blood stains and cleaning the collarbone wound.  
He hesitated, unsure whether he should touch the bloody mess in the man's face, but decided to at least wipe away some of the blood to better look at the damage done.  
He winced as he saw the cut right across the left eye.  
"I'm sorry," he murmured, realizing the consequences of this injury.  
After thoroughly patching him up, and covering half his head with bandages, Sanji sat down onto a nearby armchair, watching his sleeping patient.  
The man's soft, even breathing calmed Sanji down until he dozed off into a dreamless slumber.

Zoro woke with a hell of a headache and no idea where the fuck he actually was.  
His one eye being all wrapped up in bandages didn't really help, either.  
Then all his memories came rushing back, and he sat up with a jolt.  
And groaned at the sudden pain and nausea.  
The cut at his collarbone only throbbed a little, that wasn't the problem.  
But half his face felt wrong, _very wrong_.

After a few deep breaths, he felt he could sit up straight without feeling all dizzy.  
"Ah, you're finally awake."  
He almost jumped at the voice speaking all of a sudden, turning into its direction.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Sanji."

He recognized the blond man sitting across as his savior.

"You're lucky I was about to have a smoke when you were attacked."  
Zoro frowned, understanding nothing at all. And this headache!  
"Huh?," was all he managed.  
The blond – Sanji – chuckled.  
"I'm the owner of the café from across the street."  
"Oh, okay. Thanks, I guess," Zoro replied, his head resting in one hand.  
"So, what's your name?"  
That blond guy was being quite a pain in the ass...  
"Zoro."  
He got a smile.  
"So, how do you feel?"  
Way too talkative, this Sanji.  
"My head hurts like crazy, and half my head is in bandages. I've felt better."  
Sanji nodded at that.  
"The cut at your collarbone?"  
Zoro shrugged.  
"Itching a little."  
Sanji smirked. "Woah."  
"What time is it, anyway?"  
"Almost 7 PM."  
"What the...?! I need to get to work, I...!"  
"No, it's all good. I was over and told your boss about the other night's incident and that you wouldn't come to work for a little while, considering those wounds and all.."  
"Wait, the _other night_? How long was I out?"  
"Two days."  
"Oh. _Oh._"

Zoro stared at the blond for a while.  
"But... why do you _do_ all this? And what about your café?"  
Sanji shrugged.  
"I was around. And since I couldn't stop this from happening..."  
Zoro stared at him.  
"You feel responsible? That's ridiculous."

Sanji shook his head. "No, it's not. And don't you worry about my café; a friend's helping me out, so it's all fine. I can use a day off or two."

Zoro eyed the blond man for a long moment. He couldn't believe all this gallantry talk.

He was somewhat suspicious, but he gave a mental shrug and dropped it.

Breathing out, he asked, "Can you... show me the way to the bathroom, please? I'd love to take a shower, you know..."

"Sure thing."

The blond guided him down a short hall, pointing at the door at its end.  
"Thanks," Zoro said, heading inside and locking the door behind him, leaning heavily against it, taking a few deep breaths.  
He'd felt a little claustrophobic around the blond guy – Sanji – in his neat living-room and now gladly took in the sparely decorated bathroom: simple greyish tiles, towels neatly folded on a few boards and the standard bathroom interior, shower, toilet sink and even a tub.

_Suits him_, Zoro thought chuckling. _Then again, I don't even know this guy, really_.

He undressed, flinching at the fabric brushing his eye and stepped into the shower, turning the water on, careful not to wet his bandages. As a comfortable warmth wafted around him, he started to scrub off all the blood and dirt still clinging to his skin.  
Usually, he only took cold showers, but right there he so needed a hot one.  
His shoulders and neck felt a little stiff. That probably was from sleeping so long on that couch.  
Other than the throbbing at his left eye, he felt pretty good.  
Though he didn't really know how to wash his hair without drenching the bandage over half his face. He'd need to ask for help. The mere thought made him uneasy.  
_Hey. Can you help me wash my hair? How pathetic_!

He sighed, turning the water off and stepping outside.  
His breath caught at his reflection in the mirror.  
He looked pretty pale and the bandage didn't make it any better.  
The cut had obviously not only damaged his cheek.  
_Better have that checked,_ he thought, grabbing a towel from the board.


	4. Confrontation

Sanji stood on the balcony, enjoying a quick smoke before resuming dinner preparations.

He wondered whether this Zoro-guy had already found out about his eye. Probably.  
Sanji sighed, flicking the bud away and returning inside.  
There he was confronted by the greenhead, skin still damp, only a towel wrapped around his hips, showing off with his fine, muscled torso.  
He looked rather uncomfortable.  
"What's up?," Sanji said, trying hard not to stare at the huge scar, "Need clothes?"  
"No... Yes... But... can you lend me a hand, maybe?"

Was he _blushing_?

"Sure, I guess," Sanji said, hesitantly. "What with?"

The muscular man fidgeted for another moment, then mumbled hardly audible, "I... can't wash my hair with this", he motioned to his bandaged face, "so... could you... maybe... help me?"

Sanji stared at him for a few blinks, than struggled hard to fight down a giggle, but succeeded.

"Uh, yeah, sure."  
But his lips curled into a tiny smirk nevertheless.  
So he trudged right behind Zoro into the bathroom.

Cocking his head to the side, Sanji remarked, "I guess it'd be easiest at the tub..."  
A hushed '_whatever_' was all answer he got, before Zoro got onto his knees and bent over slightly, carefully arranging the towel around his waist.  
Sanji watched the half-naked, tall man kneel before him with a smug smile.  
_This is gonna be interesting_.  
Zoro pressed his eye closed, feeling embarrassed like never before in his life.

Sanji massaged the shampoo into the other man's short green hair after soaking it wholly.  
It felt like a way too intimate gesture to Zoro, Sanji's chest and arms brushing his bare shoulders.  
Especially his lack of clothing made him feel uncomfortable. Then again... he didn't quite know what to think of the whole situation.  
No one would expect it, seeing the muscular, _manly_ man, but Zoro was gay.  
And he didn't tend to hide it. But in this situation it seemed... _inconvenient_ to tell just like that.  
He doubted this pretty blond was into guys. And even if, it was rather improbable that he was into _him_, of all people, just because he knelt here...

Sanji was oblivious to it all, and focused on his task, rinsing Zoro's hair.  
Zoro tried to stifle a sigh, but failed. The blond noticed and asked, "Is the water too hot, or did I hurt you?"

Zoro shook his head, saying nothing; he didn't quite trust his voice at this moment.

Sanji frowned, but didn't ask any more questions.  
"So now you need some clothes, I guess?," he said instead, getting up, carefully not to tug at the towel.  
"If you don't mind, yea... But I could also just wear mine and head home to..."

"No way. Follow me," Sanji ordered, guiding Zoro to his bedroom, rummaging through his wardrobe until he found a pair of black jeans and a gray hoodie, handing both to Zoro.  
Before he left the room, he pulled a dark piece of fabric out of a drawer, tossing it across the room.  
Zoro caught it with one hand, realizing it was a pair of black silk boxer briefs.  
He blushed crimson, though Sanji had already left the room and closed the door behind him, in order to let Zoro have some privacy.

The situation felt surreal and awkward, and so Zoro hesitated before dropping the towel and dressing. Good thing they were about the same height so it wasn't all that bad wearing some other guy's clothes; but the jeans were a little tight, however.

Zoro took a few deep breaths, and then returned to the kitchen.  
Sanji had already prepared the table.  
"Come on, you must be hungry. Have a seat."  
The blond's open, hospitable attitude still confused Zoro. But he had to admit, he really was hungry.  
So he crossed the room and sat across from this bartender-turned-cook guy.  
The meal – Zoro wasn't too sure what it exactly was, but some kind of stew – smelled wonderful, and Zoro's rambling stomach reminded him that he had missed about 5 meals altogether.

"Thank you," Zoro mumbled between mouthfuls, "I don't know why you bother, but thanks, I guess."

His opposite only chuckled, before stating, "I like to feed people. And I didn't really do much, other than letting you sleep on my couch and lending you some clothes. Not that big a deal."

He shrugged to emphasize his words. But Zoro couldn't help but doubt all this kindness.

"Your cooking skills are...woah... Why do you have a bar and not a restaurant?," Zoro asked to distract his suspicious mind.  
"Ah well. Couldn't afford one at first. And now, well... Maybe I'm waiting for an opportunity or something. I'd like to serve actual meals at the bar, but I wouldn't know where to cook. And I'd need service people and all that," he trailed off.

Zoro only nodded, savoring the taste filling his mouth.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Zoro caught Sanji staring at him.  
Any other person would have asked what was wrong. Not Zoro. He motioned at Sanji with his head, as if giving him permission to speak.

"So, you're a bookseller?"

Zoro smirked. "Got a problem with that?"

"Well... no one'd guess that..."

At that, the 'bookseller' couldn't help himself anymore and laughed.

"You're right," he started to explain his outburst, "it's not my actual profession. I'm a security guy. Mostly work at exhibitions and official happenings, taking care nothing happens."

"Oh, and that's how...," Sanji began, but broke off, not wanting to seem too nosy.

Zoro gave him a long look, and nodded. "Yes," he said, "that's how my scar _happened_. Some weirdo had a katana at an exhibition and I was to protect the attending crowd, so..."

Sanji stared at him, wide-eyed. "An actual katana?! That guy could have cut you in half!"

Zoro sighed, nodding, taking a sip from his beer. "Yeah, and he almost did. Too bad I had no swords on my own, back then..."

"Woah, now, don't tell me you're a motherfucking swordsman pretending to be a bookseller! That's just too weird..."

"I don't pretend to be anything. I'm only helping out at Marimo's, since some of their workers were robbed and badly beaten... Let's just say they had security issues. That's why I was hired."

"I see. But then the same happened to you..."

"Yeah, and here I am now. End of the story," the green-haired man said, taking another swig.

"Intense."

As Zoro inhaled to reply, a knock at the apartment door could be heard.

Sanji frowned; he wasn't expecting anyone for dinner. He opened the door to find a young smiling woman with long fox-red hair standing on his doormat.

"Nami!," he stated bluntly as the woman pulled him into a tight hug.

"Hey, Sanji. Vivi's taken over so I could have a break and see what you've made for dinner. Can I come in?," she asked, though she was already walking inside, kicking her stilettos off.  
And suddenly stopping still at the sight in the dining-room.

She turned back to face Sanji, who had just closed the door, her face a mask of barely restrained irritation.

"Sanji, don't tell me that guy at the table is the one you saved?!"

"Huh? Why, yes, He's Z-"

"Zoro, I know."

Nami shook her head, a sneer replacing the smile on her face.

"So you know each other?," Sanji asked, trying to ignore Nami's antagonistic attitude.

"Then sit, eat with us," he continued, offering Nami a chair.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nami said, glaring at the still sitting Zoro.

Zoro eyed her for a moment, not yet used to his newly impaired eyesight.

"Oh, Nami. Hi."

"Yeah. _Oh,_" she snapped, putting both her hands on her hips.

"You know that Vivi's working down there, in the café? And you dare come here and enjoy yourself..."

Her voice had gone all hostile.

Zoro gave a sigh. "No, I did not know. And Sanji brought me here against my will, after all..."

"Against your will?!," Nami interjected, "You gotta be kidding me!"

Sanji looked from one to the other, understanding nothing at all.

"Can someone please explain what is going on here?," he asked, polite as ever.

Nami grinned evilly. "I'll tell you what's going on. That's the asshole that dumped Vivi because he _discovered_ he was gay all of a sudden."

Zoro focused on his beer, avoiding any eye-contact.

"Oh. _Oh._"

Sanji studied Zoro as if he'd just met him anew.

"Vivi's just gotten over him, so she better not see him. Tell him to leave," Nami hissed.

Sanji stared at Nami. He knew she was right; Vivi was a good friend of his and having the guy who had caused her pain here was...plain wrong. Then again, hospitality...

"Nami, see, I can't just throw him out. He's wounded and..."

"Whatever."

Nami glared at Zoro, who sighed and got up.

"Thanks for the meal and all. I better leave. I don't want to cause you any more trouble."

Zoro crossed the room, his eye still fixed on the floor.

"No, wait," Sanji tried one last time but Nami butted in.  
"The world's better off without this guy, Sanji. Trust me," she said, sitting down at the table.

Sanji felt torn. He wanted to agree with that; he felt he _should_ agree with that. But something was off. He'd wanted to get to know that weird, silent greenhead.

But there would have been problems anyway, if that Zoro-guy really was gay.

Because Sanji wouldn't know how to handle such a situation. _Again_.


	5. Let's See

It was of course raining again as Zoro walked across town. He pulled up the sweater's hood to keep his hair and face dry for at least a while. His eye had started to throb again, and it was getting worse as he walked. He decided he better had it checked. He didn't really know where he was going, and if there was a hospital close-by or not. But he miraculously happened to find one, but he was drenched to the bone when he finally made it there.  
The clocks read 10 PM.  
He was told to wait until a doctor was available. The nurse in charge eyed him curiously but didn't say anything. So he just waited, and felt uncomfortable.

His mind drifted off. Memories raced through his head.  
_Vivi. How he'd thought he'd loved her. How sex had been awkward. The encounter that had changed it all. Their break-up. How she'd cried and begged him to stay. How he'd tried to explain. _Him_. _His_ smell. _His_ red hair. The sex. How he'd felt he loved _him_. How he'd missed_ him_ when _he_'d left. The one-night stands that had followed. It had all changed because of _him_. If he hadn't met _him_, maybe he'd stayed with Vivi and pretended some more. But Sean hat changed everything. Though he was more than 10 years older than Zoro, it had felt right. And he'd really had feelings for the older man. But Sean* Shanks" Reddo had left the town. Just like that. They had even shared an apartment for quite some time. It had torn something in Zoro and he'd focused on training and working in the security business. And after a few months, he'd been hired by Marimo's. And now, here he was.  
Sometimes he still missed Shanks and hoped he would come back. But he always reminded himself he should know better than this._

He was about to doze off as a velvety voice called his name.  
"Mr. Roronoa?"  
He startled, opened his eye and stared up at the speaker. A young man with dark hair, sideburns and a goatee smiled at him.  
"Follow me, please."  
Zoro blinked and did as he was told, marveling at the striking tattoos gracing the doctor's arms and hands.  
Zoro sat and started to tell the doc what had happened.  
The doctor – his tag read _Trafalgar_ – told him to take his shirt off to examine the cut at his collarbone.  
He made a surprised sound. "This happened only two days ago?," he asked, looking at Zoro.  
Zoro just shrugged and smiled, "I heal fast, always have."  
Trafalgar gave a _hm_, taking in the scar, his dark eyes lingering longer than necessary on Zoro's exposed chest before looking up, "Seems so. Now, let me have a look at your eye."  
Zoro fumbled with the bandage, wincing at the pain.  
"Oh," the doc said, no obvious emotion in his voice.  
He examined Zoro's eye thoroughly, but shook his head after some tests.  
"Seems the tissue is severely damaged; especially the muscles around your eyelid. I'm afraid I cannot save your eye. It would require major surgery to restore everything and even then it might not work out right. The wound will leave a scar, so your eye will stay closed since it will pull the eyelid down..."  
He went on explaining everything to Zoro. But Zoro had already expected something along those lines. The doctor then said he would stitch the wound around the eye to prevent it from further infections.  
"There you go," Trafalgar said, "Nice battle scar." He winked at Zoro.  
"I dare to say it suits you," he went on, smirking at Zoro.  
Was he really_ flirting _with him?!  
Zoro blinked and blushed. The doc just chuckled.  
"Check-up's in a few days. Wear an eye patch, like a pirate."  
He pursed his lips as if the mere thought pleased him.  
"Need a ride home?," he asked, taking off his disposable gloves, while Zoro was already halfway out of the room.  
_Don't, please don't...  
_Zoro was getting annoyed with these blunt advances.  
"No, I'm fine. I'll walk."  
The doc shook his head disapprovingly.  
"You'll catch a cold. Your clothes are still wet..."  
Zoro only grunted and slipped out of the room. He asked the nurse whether he could call a friend of his to collect him. She nodded and goggled him as he dialed.  
His friend answered and Zoro told him where he was and asked for a ride.  
He thanked the nurse and went outside to wait. He was standing right at the entrance, taking shelter under the roof.

After a couple of minutes a pickup halted right in front of him.  
He got into the car. "Thanks, man," he said, greeting him with a fist bump.  
His friend shrugged. "No big deal. What did you do, anyway? How can working at a bookstore take your eye?!"  
Zoro sighed and explained. His friend – Ace Porter** – listened intently.  
At the mention of his savior's name, he pressed his lips together. Zoro noticed and asked what was wrong. Ace swallowed hard, and said "I know that guy."  
Zoro frowned, and winced a little as the frown hurt the stitched up half of his face.  
"So what?," he demanded.  
"I mean, I _know_ him. Back when I was delivering pizzas, you know, two years ago. That guy, Sanji, was sick back then and had ordered some pasta or whatever. And I... well, I brought it. And I stayed at his place. And..."  
"Woah, wait! You had _fling_ with him?!"  
Ace grinned at the memory, a blush creeping up his cheeks.  
"Well, yeah," he admitted.  
Zoro blew out his breath.  
"I can't believe you didn't tell me."  
Ace gave him a look. "Why would I? It's not like you told me about every single one of your escapades..."  
Zoro shut his mouth at that. And thought of red hair.  
"But you're not gay," he said softly after a moment.  
"No. And it was only this one time," Ace stated matter-of-factly.  
Zoro nodded. And realized Ace was turning into his street already.  
"Well, thanks again, Ace," he said, feeling a little uncomfortable.  
Ace parked the pickup and turned to him with a grin. "No problem, Zoro. Take care of yourself, you hear me? I don't wanna hear anything about hospitals for a while.""Sure thing, "Zoro said, getting out of the car.

He waved Ace goodbye and walked up the stairs to his apartment, suddenly feeling very much alone. His clothes still clung to his skin, and he was cold.  
He hadn't been home for almost 3 days, and his apartment was cold. He went straight for the bathroom and ran a bath to warm him pulled off the borrowed clothes, realizing that he'd forgotten his own back at Sanji's place. Somehow, the thought of his blood-soaked, dirty clothes at the bartender's made his cheeks redden.  
But he would have to bring back the jeans and hoodie anyway, not to forget those boxers.  
He examined his mirror-self. His face looked dangerous. Fierce, grim expression plus newly stitched up wound that would leave a remarkable scar? _Manly. Rough. Deterrent_. It wouldn't make finding a new lover any easier.  
He got into the tub and instantly relaxed as the hot water hugged his cold, rain-damp body.  
He just wished there would be someone waiting for him, snuggled up in the blankets on his futon.  
He sighed and closed his one eye.

* * *

**A/N:**  
*:I thought 'Shanks' was a little too odd for an actual name here, so I named him Sean with the nickname Shanks.  
**:Yeah, right. I turned 'Portgas' into 'Porter'. Bear with me, please.


	6. Take Me Out!

Nami had spent the last two hours or so bashing Zoro with every word that had left her pretty mouth. Well, her mouth usually was pretty, but with all those _things_ she said... one might reconsider that.

Sanji sighed. It really _wasn't_ funny anymore. He liked Nami, he really did. Her looks, her voice, her laugh – he liked pretty much _anything_ about her. But: she could be pretty _tiring_.

Especially when she got worked up over something like this Zoro matter.

"Sanji? Sanji! Are you even listening?!"  
Sanji had been mindlessly poking his panna cotta, and no, he hadn't been listening.  
Not really.  
"Huh? Uh, I..."  
Nami pointed an accusing index finger at him. "Don't you tell me you fell in love with this loser!"  
Sanji blinked at her in surprise. In love? With Zoro? Just like that? He hardly knew that guy. Wait, _what_?! In love with another _guy_? He, _Sanji_?!

"NO!," he shouted, totally exasperated.  
Did Nami know of...? No, he'd never told her about _this incident_. He'd never told anyone about _him_.

Then, why did she suspect him to...?

"Phew, I'm glad. I was seriously doubting your sanity for a second," Nami replies nonchalantly, smiling sheepishly at him.  
Sanji overplayed his outburst by lighting a cigarette to busy his hand.  
This was ridiculous. Sanji falling in love with a guy like Zoro. With a _guy_ at all.  
There was no such thing as love at first sight in Sanji's life; no, he tended to call that lust.  
And no, he didn't lust after that weird guy. Did he? No. He was just... worried.  
If he had been any faster, he could have... No. Don't start the 'if only'. But he couldn't help but feel somehow responsible for Zoro.

He sighed again.  
It was no use; he wanted to meet that lad again, no matter what. And he'd lent him clothes, anyway. Oh, and those shreds that used to be Zoro's clothes could use some mending, too. If they weren't beyond that already.  
Another sigh built in his throat but Nami interrupted: "Sanji! Stop that sighing,will you!"  
Man, this woman really could be a pain...

Zoro woke up late the next day, with the memory of a smile in his mind's eye. He was not entirely sure whose smile it had been; genuine and pleasant it'd been, however. He liked it.

He gave a little sigh before he got up with a groan. He made and drank some coffee and took a quick cold shower to wake up.

He picked a black button-down shirt and black jeans – all black with his boots.

The dark fabric and leather felt good, soothing even. Downing the last remains of coffee, he finally made for work.  
Random people on the subway bluntly stared at him, some scared, some disgusted even.  
His features looked dangerous with the stitches around his scarring eye.

But he shrugged it all off. He was used to stares and comments on his appearance because of his hair.

As he made his way to his boss to tell him about the accident, he heard some of his co-workers whisper about his wound. They were obviously thinking it had had to do with some gang war or another. Stupid folk!

He tried to sound as casual and collected as possible, but his boss could see through everything.

He sent him home, to take some time off to relax and recover.  
Zoro bit back a groan of annoyance; he'd wanted to come back and work and not feel useless.  
But refusing wouldn't be of any use, so he nodded and left.

It was late afternoon already.

He thought paying the bartender a visit would be a nice idea, so he crossed the street and walked up to the entrance. And stopped still as he saw a flicker of bright blue hair. Vivi.

He swallowed hard at her sight. Then he took a deep breath, closed his eye and entered the café.

He picked a table at the far corner, sat and waited. She hadn't noticed him yet. Maybe she wouldn't at all? Maybe Sanji or some other waiter would come up to his table?

Vivi seemed to be all right, he thought, watching her serving the customers with a smile on her face.

There was actually no need for her to work here; her family was wealthy, always had been.  
So it was probably just a favor, a thing of kindness. She'd always been kind to those she cared for.

Zoro wondered how much exactly she cared for Sanji. Or did she do this to be with Nami, her friend? Zoro didn't know. Then again, he didn't really care. Not anymore.

She didn't seem to be suffering anymore. That was all he needed to know.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice her approaching.

"So it's true."

He jerked, his head snapping into her direction.

"What?," was all he managed.

Her mouth was a thin line as she eyed him closely.

"The story Nami told about you. About your eye. And Sanji-kun."

Her voice was ice, heartless and sharp.

He swallowed hard as he looked at her. "What did she say?"

His voice was thin, barely more than a whisper.

"That you're a bastard and trying to win over Sanji."

His jaw dropped, and his cheeks reddened slightly.

He did like the guy, but...

Vivi nodded. "So she was right. It's such a shame. You're so handsome. Yet you're such an ass – and gay." She shook her head. Then shot him another intense glare.

"Leave. I will certainly not serve you. And since Nami's still upstairs with Sanji..."

She grinned evilly. He didn't even know she was capable of such tones and grimaces.

He gave a little sigh, his mind playing cinema, showing porn.

Yes, he could imagine why Nami was taking so long...

He averted his gaze, trying to hide the hurt on his face. The images in his head throbbed worse than his eye. Yet, he thought himself ridiculous for feeling this way.

He was jealous, and wouldn't mind being upstairs with the pretty bartender. But he hadn't expected to feel for him. Then again, it might just be Vivi's words that hurt so bad...

He got up and walked past his ex. She didn't even spare him another glance but went straight back to serve another table.

Zoro was annoyed and strangely depressed. His mind was racing; pictures of the past and of possible futures troubled him.

He walked aimlessly across town, as if running away.

After some time, the sun was about to set, he realized where his feet had carried him.

The Ocean was right ahead. A bar and club, serving mixed audiences with a decent taste in music.

The posters announced a show that night, 'The Captain', an infamous weirdo, dancing and stripping to amuse both men and women.

Zoro didn't really give a damn. All he cared about was a drink or two. Or a dozen.

So he went inside.

Loud, heavy music with a dominant bass filled the dark room.

Zoro scanned the crowd, heading straight for the bar. The eccentric blond behind the counter, dressed all in pinks, grinned down at him, licking his lips.  
"Oh, Zoroboy! Haven't seen you around for ages! I feared you might've started playing for the other team after Sean left you..."  
The blond knew how much his words hurt Zoro; he was calculating like that.

Zoro scowled at him. "He did not leave me, he left completely! And now, gimme a drink, Don."

Don smirked, raising an eyebrow behind his sunglasses.

Why the hell he wore them in the club was beyond Zoro.  
Probably fashion reasons. Ugh.  
"In a bad mood, eh? Guess I better serve you something good, then. Good and strong, mhm, reminds me of something..."  
He licked his lips suggestively again, winking at Zoro. Don always tried his best to get Zoro drunk enough to take him home with.  
So far, without success, but he kept on trying.

The music changed and increased in volume; the lights dimmed and a tall, lean figure stalked onto the stage. The eccentric man had a mess of scarlet red hair, wore tight leather shorts, a net shirt and boots, all in black, and a fluffy red coat hung loosely around his shoulders. His fingernails were painted a dark shade of purple as were his lips.  
Zoro downed his third shot; he'd been to focused on The Captain to notice Don had slipped something into his liquor.  
So he simply demanded another drink; Don complied, with a wide grin and shoved a glass towards Zoro.  
Said greenhead scanned the crowd and noticed a familiar dark-haired man with significant gold earrings. The emergency doc, Trafalgar.

Trafalgar noticed his stare, turned and shot him a brilliant smile.  
Zoro hastily turned his attention back to his drink.  
The striking man on the stage moved his slender hips seductively in time with the bass.  
He certainly knew what he was doing..  
Trafalgar's gaze was fixed on the dancer; he was captivated by those slim waist.  
The Captain noticed, and slowly approached, casually shaking off his coat and stepping from the stage onto the counter, lazily crouching before the mesmerized doctor.  
He cupped the startled man's face with one hand, grinning at him and leaning down to whisper into his ear, before giving him a playful peck on the lips.  
The doctor gave him an amused look and pulled him closer for a real kiss.  
They seemed to be either acquainted or bluntly into each other.  
Zoro had to look away; it was getting way too intimate for his taste.  
He ran a thumb over the rim of his glass, and nodded at Don who'd had the bottle in hands, ready for a refill.  
Zoro's mind was getting a little cloudy; that was unusual but he found it to his liking.  
He sipped at his new drink, then changed his mind, and decided to go outside for a breather or two.  
His stumbling out of the bar seemed to take ages.  
As soon as he was outside, he fell to his knees; the cold night knocking him down.  
Everything seemed to move, and fast. He wasn't used to this. He never got this wasted.  
He rolled onto his side, fumbling through his pockets for his phone, but his hands wouldn't move right. All he could manage was a croak as he tried to call out for someone to help.  
He closed his eyes, though this didn't really help but made the spinning feeling worse.  
He heard footsteps and chuckling, the world spun even faster – and then he blacked out.

* * *

AN: sorry for the long wait.. the next part is almost done, so it should be up pretty soon. I hope ^^''


	7. Games

The first thing he noticed when waking up, was the distinct smell of metal all around the unfamiliar room he was lying in.  
He opened his eye slowly to find himself lying on a bare mattress on the floor, in a dimly lighted, dusty room with the shades drawn. Pain rippled through his brain, making him nauseous. Yet he looked around to take in some weird metal constructions; some looked like they were made entirely of blades, knives, daggers, swords – all shiny, sharp steel.  
Others weren't that deadly looking; spiraling figures, metal boards held together by nails and screws, building abstract, polished pieces of art.  
His surroundings didn't really help his rebelling stomach.  
To top it all, his head felt like bursting.  
He had no memory of any of the last night's events.  
It was all a blurry mess as if he'd had the alcohol share of half a lifetime.  
He could hear muffled voices from the next room. They sounded somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite place them. The unsettling blade structure reflected his features; a mix of dirt and blood was splattered over his face and neck. He checked himself for wounds, but couldn't find any. It seemed it wasn't his blood. But whose was it and why was it all over him? He was confused, and his head was killing him and he was at someone's place he obviously didn't know. _Pretty mess you got yourself into..._

A creak of the door opening made him start. The red-haired stripper from the other night stood in the threshold, his hair messy and his chest bare, an annoyed expression on his face.  
Zoro edged away and almost impaled himself on the blades; his back gained several cuts and scratches while his shirt was ripped apart.  
Blood droplets now graced the tips of the blades, making them even more vicious-looking and nightmarish.

The redhead smirked at him.  
"No need to kill yourself after we saved your sorry ass."  
Zoro only blinked and stared at him in confusion.  
"Don knocked you out and had planned to take you home with him. You're one of his favourite playthings – yet to be tamed and taken."  
He pursed his lips. Obviously Zoro wasn't his type and therefore he didn't understand Don's efforts.

"Doc, you're needed here," the redhead called out to the next room.  
Shuffling footsteps could be heard, then a yawning Doc Trafalgar entered the room, dark shadows under his eyes.  
"I see, you're one masochistic fucker, eh? Got a doctor fetish or something? Well, can help you with that one," he said with a wicked smirk, approaching Zoro.  
The redhead growled and left the room. He seemed to disapprove of the doc's flirtatious behaviour towards Zoro. _Jealousy?  
_He gave him a smug smile. "Ah, well, I better cut you out of that shirt. Lie down."  
Zoro didn't like this situation. This doc was a little too _direct_ for his taste.

But he owed him and his red-haired companion, didn't he? He certainly didn't like this sort of payback, though...

He lay down on the mattress again, forehead resting on crossed arms.  
He heard Trafalgar rummage around the room and then felt his weight behind him on the mattress.

Zoro felt his shirt being lifted, obviously being cut from seam to collar, and as it was ripped off of him, some tissue joined it.  
Then he felt cold air on his bloody back.  
Just as he breathed out, Trafalgar straddled him, careful but determined.  
Zoro felt so very much at the other man's mercy, again.

He still felt sick, so fighting the doctor wasn't an option.  
Those talented tattooed hands gently cleaned his wounds and ran across unharmed skin.  
"You're too self-destructive, too keen on shedding your own blood and scarring that body of yours. It really is a shame."

The doc's voice was all soothing velvet, murmuring close to Zoro's ear, making his skin crawl.  
A soft exhale sent Zoro's earrings dangling against one another.  
"But I have to admit I kinda like that attitude of yours," the doc hissed, licking Zoro's pierced earlobe. "It suits you."  
Zoro's reply was muffled by the mattress.  
_When had he started to be so cheap, so easy?_

"There's things I'd love to do with you now, but I don't wanna risk Kidd getting into a fit and ripping you apart..."  
He chuckled, then placed a kiss on Zoro's neck, whispering, "Now, turn onto your side. Check-up's due."  
Zoro did so without questioning and looked up at the dark-haired man kneeling before him, examining his eye.  
"Impressive," he whispered, "Almost completely healed. I'll take out the threads, then."  
Zoro only blinked at him; he didn't really care. As long as he wasn't forced to _do anything_ with him...  
He watched the doc's every graceful move, how he held the scalpel, how he contorted his face in concentration.  
He was certainly good-looking, but something dark was lingering right underneath the surface.  
Zoro couldn't quite say what it was, but he was sure this guy was some fucked-up, twisted freak.  
Most likely sadistic or something...

He had his eye closed as the doc removed the threads, so he didn't see the hands coming to cup his face and pull him into a demanding kiss right afterward.

Zoro gasped, but the sound was swallowed by a mouth that wasn't his.  
A shove, and he was lying on his band-aided back, a needy doctor lying on top of him.

Tanned, skilled fingers crept along Zoro's stomach and down his jeans' waistband.  
Zoro's breath caught somewhere in his throat as those fingers slid along his shaft, teasing, tickling.  
He bit back a moan, as some pressure was applied on him.  
The doc wore a superior grin, enjoying this dominance game obviously.  
A loud curse and a thud from the next room ceased both his hands' movements and his grin.  
"Shit," he hissed, pulling his hands back and sitting up.  
Zoro gave him a look; he had no idea what the hell was going on.  
"Kidd's already on the brink, I suppose," he whispers and leaves the room.  
Zoro took a moment to collect himself, then followed.  
He found the two of them sprawled in front of the TV, game pads in hands, eyes fixed on the screen where a match of Tekken was taking place.  
Kidd cursed again, but Law caught his game pad before he could smash it into the floor.  
"Damn Azazel! Fuck! Argh..."  
The redhead ran his hands through his hair, worsening their messiness some more.  
"How about some VS matches?," Zoro suggested casually, sitting down next to them.  
Kidd glared at him first, then nodded.  
"Fine, then. I'm Kidd by the way. And I'm an artist."  
"I figured that," Zoro replied with a smirk, "I'm Zoro."  
"And that medical genius here," Kidd announced, ruffling the doc's black hair, "is Law."  
Law smiled smugly, gazing into Zoro's one eye.  
Zoro just nodded and looked back to the screen.  
"Have a favourite fighter?," Zoro asked as he picked his.  
"Not really," Kidd admitted, choosing Jin.  
"I totally love Yoshimitsu, you know," Zoro said, as the match started and he lunged at Kidd's fighter.  
Zoro wasn't unused to this game, so he beat Kidd pretty quickly, making him grumble again.  
"I still haven't found anyone I like," he explained, handing the game pad to Law.  
Law tried Kuma (in panda mode) for a few matches, then reconsidered and sent his namesake into battle against Yoshimitsu.  
They played a couple of matches together, or rather against one another.  
Zoro noticed his two saviors had some thing going between them. Though Law couldn't refrain from flirting with Zoro at every opportunity given.  
Kidd tended to have some violent, neurotic fits, then, adding to his fighting skills and sending Law k.o. again and again.  
Other than that, he was a rather nice, laid-back guy, with freaky looks and inborn cockiness.  
As they had a little beer and chips break, Kidd asked all of a sudden, "What happened to you that you got yourself hammered like that, Zoro? At Don's bar, of all places... Really dumb, I must say."  
Zoro took a swig, a little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
"It's my usual place. I.. I didn't expect him to take such measures..."  
Kidd pursed his lips, shaking his head, while Law was simply watching in silence, his dark eyes fixed on Zoro's chipped lips.  
"That all?," Kidd asked, sounding really bored.  
"Uh.. well, no.." Zoro sought for words.  
"Lemme guess. Heartbreak. Jealousy. Betrayal. The usual reasons to drown brain cells..." Kidd gave Law a look before glancing back at Zoro, who was avoiding eye-contact.  
"So I'm right, huh? Someone dumped you?"  
Kidd downed half his bottle waiting for Zoro's story.  
Zoro was feeling uncomfortable; he didn't owe that guy any answers, did he? He wasn't even sure what he'd exactly felt when he'd drunk his mind away.  
"It's complicated," he murmured, staring at the floor.  
"It always is," Kidd said with a snort, his gaze boring into Law.  
Law couldn't stand that for long, got up and went into the kitchen to get some coffee, or so he said.  
"You're into guys too, I take it? So, hit on a straight guy?"  
Zoro swallowed. How could that guy read him like an open book?! He pressed his lips together and nodded. "Kinda. I'm not sure."  
Kidd rolled his eyes at him. "The way you look and act, it's serious shit. So better sort it out, or you'll end up in Don's bed..." Kidd's grin was mischievous, but no longer mean.  
Zoro's insides rebelled at the thoughts of Don.  
"I won't let that happen."  
"You better. We won't save you again. Well, Law might. But not out of kindness."  
He gave Zoro a long look.  
"Be glad I was with him. Otherwise, you would have traded Satan for Beelzebub."  
Zoro nodded, muttering a thanks, then get up and left. He felt Law's stare in his back as he stepped out of the apartment.  
As he hurried through a drizzle, he realized with a shock, that he was not wearing a shirt. And that the shirt he had worn and that had been cut off him had belonged to Sanji.  
_Shit. Things really only got worse..._


	8. Twist Me Right 'Round

Sanji had just opened his bar for the night and was busy sorting bottles and stacking slices of lemons and oranges, as the bar door opens and some customer enters, heading straight for the counter.  
"Gin tonic," he orders.  
Sanji just nods and starts preparing the drink, not really sparing the newcomer a glance.  
The guest chuckled. "You used to be much nicer, Sanji!," he remarked cheerily, then taking a long drink. Sanji whirled around, his eyes widening at the sight of Ace sitting at his counter.  
"Ace!," He exclaimed bluntly, almost dropping a bottle.  
"Surprised?," the black-haired man smirked, "It's been a while, huh? How are... things?"  
He eyed Sanji from head to toes, grinning around the brim of his glass.  
For a few seconds, an uncomfortable silence spread between the two; a reminisce of their shared moments in the past...  
"Uh, weird lately...," Sanji stated after another few breaths, his mouth suddenly feeling dry.  
He poured himself a glass of water, taking a couple of gulps.  
"I see. Zoro causing trouble, eh? That's so him."  
Sanji almost spat his water into Ace' face.  
"You... know Zoro?!"  
"Well, yeah, he's my best buddy, you know?" Ace' smile was wide and serene.  
Sanji needed a moment to take this information in.  
The guy he'd _fucked_ with, once, in the past, is _Zoro's_ best buddy?! How small _is_ the world?!  
His past and present clashing like this... this really wasn't necessary at this moment.  
He heaved a sigh. His fling with Ace wouldn't make it any easier...  
If Zoro knew about that, he might get the wrong impression of him.  
Because he, Sanji, _wasn't_ gay. It was only this single one time, out of the heat of the moment and since he was sick then and...  
God, this all was so awkward!  
Ace finished his drink with one swallow and put the glass with a loud _THUMP!_ back onto the counter.  
"So... what do you think of him?"  
Sanji knew perfectly well who Ace was referring to, but still asked, "Of whom?"  
"Zoro, of course."  
Sanji exhaled slowly. "Uh, I hardly know him. He seems quite okay, I guess..."  
Ace's eyes had a gleam to them.  
"You should get to know him better, then."  
"Why? You wanna hook us up or what?! I'm not... gay...," Sanji admitted, blushing.  
Ace eyed him steadily. "But you don't mind men. And..."  
Sanji closed his eyes for a second, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
"And?," he demanded, sounding somewhat annoyed.  
"Well, Zoro is gay."  
Sanji swallowed, trying to keep his cool demeanor. "I know."  
Ace nodded at that, grinning.  
Sanji mixed another drink for him, shoving the glass over the counter.  
Ace took a sip, before turning his attention back to the blond.  
"So... you're neither gay, nor straight, eh?," he asked, obvious mockery in his voice.  
Sanji lit a cigarette, took a few drags and exhaled slowly, blowing the smoke Ace's way.  
"I don't like that stereotypical bullshit. I like who I like. I don't wanna be classified as this or that."  
He took another drag, longer this time to emphasize his words.  
Ace's smirk hit him unexpectedly. "But who _do_ you like?"  
Sanji fumbled with the cig. "That's a good question... I don't know, really.."  
"So he's nothing to you?," Ace pressed.  
Sanji's thoughts wandered off to the extraordinary bookseller...

Meanwhile, an already soaked Zoro had been picked up by Kidd, who'd offered him a ride.  
"You really don't have to do that...," Zoro muttered for the third time.  
Kidd just chuckled. "Yeah, sure. But I wanna see that guy that fucked with your head. And your walking in the rain with just those bandages was just _too_ pathetic..." He grinned at Zoro who just snorted in reply.  
As Kidd parked the car in a side street, he gave instructions.  
"Work it out. Tell him how you feel. Just do something about this. You're a fucking mess, and I'm not speaking about those wounds... They heal easily. Just behave like the man you look like, tough and determined, dammit!"  
Zoro sighed but also felt a little encouraged. _Weird things come in packs_...

Ace watched the bartender closely, nodding at his words, a smirk coming to his lips.  
"So you're free?"  
Sanji gave him a blank stare, forgetting about his cigarette, causing some ash to fall off the tip.  
"You gotta be kidding me," he snorts, dropping the stub in a nearby ashtray.  
The dark-haired man gave him a genuine smile. "Actually, no. I wanna revive the past."  
Sanji felt a blush creeping to his cheeks, so he turned his head away to hide it and light another cigarette.  
"Maybe I don't," he mumbles around the cig.  
_This is getting more and more awkward..._  
He decided to pour himself a real drink, going for rum; he downed the glass in a few greedy gulps, enjoying the burn down his throat and stomach. Ace watched him, getting to his feet and surrounding the counter to approach Sanji.  
"You're a really bad liar," he muttered and leaned in to kiss the blond as the bar's door opens suddenly.

Zoro entered with Kidd right behind him.  
He took a few steps, then caught sight of the scene before him and stopped dead, Kidd bumping into his back, muttering, "Now,_ this_ is something..."  
Zoro opened his mouth to say something, to protest, to _anything_, as Sanji turned around to him with a death glare.  
"You! Take that friend of yours and get the hell outta here!"  
He pushed Ace away, who only chuckled and said, "Bad timing, buddy."  
Zoro just stood, perplexed, while Kidd watched everything with obvious amusement before he decided he better leave, Ace following through.  
"What's with that look?," the bartender asked, motioning with his cigarette-armed hand at Zoro's more or less bare chest, covered in a mess of wet bandages.  
"Something I want to talk to you about," the green-haired man said, clearing his throat fidgeting at his jeans' pockets.  
Sanji frowned at that, raising an eyebrow.  
"Your shirt... the one you lent me... it got... destroyed."  
"It what?! You can't even take care of a goddamn _shirt_?!"  
Zoro made some careful steps into Sanji's direction. "It was an accident. I'm sorry."  
"Yeah, sure," Sanji snorted, "That it might have been an important keepsake to me doesn't stir that _simple_ mind of yours. Typical."  
Zoro opened his mouth to talk back, then bit his lip. "It wasn't my intention..."  
The blond watched him with a bored expression, his cigarette hanging in a weird angle in the corner of his mouth. "So you wanna make up for it, huh? Sure. You're so easy to figure out."  
The greenhead took another careful step forward, stopping only inches from Sanji, gazing at him.  
"But I mean it," he breathed, watching Sanji's face.  
"Tse!," the bartender spat and whirled around. But a hand caught his shoulder, turning him back around. "What?!," he snapped, then Zoro inclined his head to clumsily kiss the blond.  
Sanji was too shocked to react right away; it took him a few seconds to pull himself together and away. _How that tall, muscly man could be so clumsy and sweet?_ A revelation that Sanji would have never expected. However, he didn't approve of it and shoved Zoro away, slapping him. Hard.  
The almost healed up wound around Zoro's eye opened a little, causing a little blood to trickle down his left cheek, like a single lost tear. He raised his chin, a sexy smirk sprawled across his face.  
Sanji just stared at him, sneering and biting his stub.  
A vein at his temple pulsed dangerously. "Don't be so blunt, ever again, hear me?," he snarled around his stub, miraculously not dropping it.  
The other one still wore his grin; he probably faked it, though, Sanji thought.  
"That was kinda girly, wasn't it?," the greenhead said, running his thumb over his cheek, smearing the blood over half his face.  
That made Sanji lose his cool; he gaped at the other guy, losing his cigarette and, to his great shame, blushing slightly.  
_Hell, yes, it _had_ been girly, like hell actually, but never would he admit that, not to that cocky bastard, anyway.  
_"Or maybe you just like me broken and bleeding," he went on with his muttering, fueling Sanji's white-hot anger some more until he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed him, for lack of collar right at his neck.  
"Stop. This. Shittalk. Or I'll smash that fucking face of yours some more. You have no fucking right to talk to me like this. You owe me, motherfucker. And I'll make certain that you pay it all off. Or rather, work it off. You'll do some waitressing until I say we're even. And I don't give one single goddamn fuck about your past or present relationship with your co-workers. You'll get along. You'll work. You'll do good work. Otherwise, I'll come up with something, and be sure, you wouldn't like that."  
Zoro only stared at the blond, open-mouthed. That's so_ not_ what he had planned...  
The smirk on Sanji's lips widened.  
_You'll regret we ever met, marimohead._


End file.
